Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) executive compensation, 2026 proxy

Chih-Hsiang (Thompson) Lin, President and Chief Executive Officer, was paid $4.8M in 2025, up 29% from $3.7M the year before. The CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio was 469:1, on median employee pay of $10,177.

Filed
April 24, 2026
Annual meeting
June 4, 2026
Pay year
2025
Named executives
5
CEO total pay
$4.8M+29% vs prior year
CEO to median employee
469:1median $10,177
CEO pay in equity
60%$2.8M in awards
Prior say-on-pay support
97%of votes cast
CEO Total Compensation
$4,769,014For fiscal year 2025
Say-on-Pay Support
97.45%At 2025 annual meeting
Market Cap
$11.7BCompany market capitalization

How Lin was paid

$4.8M in total for 2025, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table. Equity awards are valued at grant, not at what they turned out to be worth.

Salary17%Stock awards60%Non-equity incentive21%All other compensation2%

Named executive officers

ExecutiveTotal
Chih-Hsiang (Thompson) LinPresident and Chief Executive Officer$4,769,014
Stefan J. MurryChief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer$2,095,350
Hung-Lun (Fred) ChangSenior Vice President and North America General Manager$1,709,760
Shu-Hua (Joshua) YehSenior Vice President and Asia General Manager$1,644,807
David C. KuoSenior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary$1,225,352

What changed and why

  • $4.8MCEO total compensation increased to $4,769,014 in 2025 from $3,695,421 in 2024.
  • $2.8MStock awards for the CEO rose to $2,837,667 in 2025 from $2,522,729 in 2024.
  • $1MNon-equity incentive plan compensation for the CEO increased to $1,009,087 from $394,656.
  • 97.45%Say-on-pay received 97.45% approval at the previous annual meeting of stockholders.
  • The CEO to median employee pay ratio was calculated as 469 to 1.

About this page

Figures are automated and can be wrong; check the filing for the exact numbers. Totals follow SEC rules, which value stock and option awards at grant. Read the DEF 14A proxy statement for footnotes and the compensation committee's full reasoning.